Ode To The Muffler Shop
by fireflower
Summary: Alright...just another reminder that I don't own this show, or it's characters...much as I'd wish too. Every so often though, I go into their fictional universe and play a few games for entertainment's sake. My apologies to Sadeyes for not getting this fi


Alright...just another reminder that I don't own this show, or it's characters...much as I'd wish too. Every so often though, I go into their fictional universe and play a few games for entertainment's sake. My apologies to Sadeyes for not getting this finished earlier, but I've been so totally preoccupied this past while that I'm beginning to go insane. Regardless...I hope you all enjoy my latest brainchild. Be sure to review...;)  
  
November 8, 1979  
  
Corporate America...whether it was ready or not, was about to take on the likes of Steven Hyde. WB was ecstatic, and couldn't wait to bring me into his circle. However, his announcement that work started early Monday morning was the first indication of icy waters ahead...  
  
Since we both know I'm too lazy to bother telling you about the weekend before my first day...we'll just say that Jackie rotated between gushing about how I've gotten a 'real' job and can support her in the way she's accustomed, and picking at me about my clothing choices that day. On the plus side, she did make me a lunch...full blown Jackie style. I'd never tell anybody this, but I do like the way she 'takes care' of me.  
  
Opening up that lunch bag to reveal that troll pencil holder was unfortunately the only high point of my day. I was stuck in some tiny little excuse for an office, underlining a bunch of paperwork regarding record sales for groups I'd never heard of in my life. What type of music was WB in the business of selling anyway? And just when I thought I was done with the paperwork, this total moron who had be driving me insane all day told me that they'd changed the way it was to be filled out, and I'd have to start again. To top it off, this guy offered me something to lift my mood. Licorice! Of course, that broke my last straw with this clown. I tossed his ass out of my office, narrowly missing his head with a rolled up piece of the offensive paperwork.  
  
By the end of the day, only one thought was going through my mind. How the hell do I get myself out of this...? Luckily, by the time I got back to the Formans', I had my answer. All I had left to do was put the plan into motion...  
  
As I expected, Jackie was already at the front door waiting to see how my first day was. I think she was able to get her first taste of 'corporate Hyde' after I uncharacteristically snapped at her. I'm supposed to be Zen...what the hell is 'The Man' doing to me?  
  
Without another thought, I brushed my way past everyone without a word and headed directly to the basement...and my stash. If there was ever a time I needed that stash most, it was then.  
  
A few minutes later, I'd managed to mellow out some...just in time for Jackie to come downstairs looking for explanations. Surprisingly, she wasn't still angry with me about my outburst earlier. In fact, she rather sensitively asked what could've made me upset enough to act so out of character. Sometimes the girl surprises even me. I half expected her to ignore me for the night...or at the very least to be all pouty.  
  
So again that day I went against my own character and decided to open up to her about how awful the job truly was in the only way I thought she would understand...by relating it to the guy that shows up for a formal dinner party in a pair of dirty jeans and a ratty old t-shirt. She couldn't resist laughing at the comparison I chose, saying it sounded 'so Steven'...whatever that was supposed to mean. However, I'm pretty sure she caught on, because she looked at me in the quiet resigned way of hers; her eyes telling me that while she had hoped I'd like her world if given the chance, that she'd known all along that I just didn't fit into that mold, and that it was okay. She loved me the way I was...  
  
I thought about letting her in on the plan, but didn't want to drag her into my mess, so I kept my mouth shut. It was obvious she knew I was up to something, though for once she sat back and said nothing...even when I woke myself up around 2 am and quietly sneaked out of my room, leaving her in bed alone. I found out later that she'd woken up the second I climbed off the cot, yet she opted to keep up the pretense of sleep...leaving me to my own devices.  
  
Luckily, Red was a creature of habit. I couldn't help but notice that every day after he came home from the muffler shop, he placed his keys on the key ring holder in the kitchen until he needed them the next morning. I'd had plenty of experience with late night escapes from the Forman home...beer runs...random slutty chicks...so getting upstairs, grabbing the shop keys, and making my quick exit was both quiet and painless.  
  
In less than five minutes, I'd made my way to the shop and let myself inside. Not surprisingly, my overalls were right where I'd left them before I'd left the shop a few days ago. More shocking was the fact that they still bore the special order patch the Red had ordered for me when he first gave me the job.  
  
Once I'd slipped into the overalls, I took a quick look at the shop. There were about a dozen mufflers around the place in various stages of repair. I really had to get cracking if I was gonna be able to fulfill the details of my plan...namely, surprise Red by having all the mufflers fully repaired before he came in at 8...and that he'd see my dedication, and decide to rehire me. So I set myself in for a long night. I just hoped it would be worth it.  
  
The night passed before I knew it...and I'd almost finished with the very last motor. As I took a quick peek at my watch to see how much time I had to spare, a murderous looking Red walked into the muffler shop. What he had expected to find there I don't know, though judging by the way his expression quickly morphed into one of shock, I'm sure the sight of me putting the finishing touches on the last muffler wasn't it.  
  
Without a word, he walked around the shop, inspecting all the mufflers to judge the detail of the repairs. I was so nervous about his reaction to my being there that my eyes just followed him around the shop, watching a grin slowly work its way into his eyes. It never reached his lips, but it wouldn't be Red if it had.  
  
Finally, after the last inspection, he looked me square in the eye and said, "Be back here at 8 am...Tuesday's our busiest day". Not wanting to ruin the moment, I responded with a nod and a faint smile. With a sigh of relief, I walked out of the muffler shop exhausted, but I'd managed to do what I'd come to do...and I was back where I belonged... 


End file.
